[Movie rec] Ao no Honoo (The Blue Flame)
Mar. 22nd, 2012 02:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
barbosa2007Netizens claim that this was probably the movie which helped Nino pass his Hollywood auditions. I am inclined to agree, judging from the way he delivered the entire film. I personally like this film the most amongst Nino's shows. While searching videos related to the movie, someone had posted the entire film with English subs on Youtube. I recommend that you go watch it here and buy the DVD.
Synopsis: Kushimori Shuichi (portrayed by Ninomiya) is a high school student living with his sister and mother. One day, his stepfather returns home after 10 years and begins to terrorize his family, much to Shuichi's horror. Shuichi then starts to plot ways to get rid of his stepfather in order to save his family.
The tagline, 僕は、独りで世界と戦っている, translates as "I am battling against this world all on my own."
[SPOILERS BELOW]
I feel that the tagline personified Shuichi's character in the film; indeed, in many ways, he was alone. He sleeps in a garage that is annexed to his house, he speaks his mind into his tape recorder when no one else is listening, he keeps his innermost thoughts to himself, and the list goes on.
A review by Durang0 from Finland highlights what I loved from the movie, so I'm going to quote him/her:
"At first I thought the movie's main function was probably to deliver cheap thrills, raise sympathy in the easiest way, speak against domestic violence, tell a moral story or to portray some typical teenage drama. Before the last minutes I still wasn't sure what to make of it, as it seemed to end without any final conclusion. But then when the ending came it blew me away, even if the viewer guessed what was going to happen long before. The point wasn't about what happened, but how it happened and what we got to know about the main character. Who is this guy? Is he a manipulative scoundrel? A hero that saves his little sister? A criminal that learns a crucial lesson? We don't know this for sure before the last scenes.
In the final scene, when Noriko was holding back her tears, the main character's list of favorite things is narrated. Here he finally reveals himself. He was not a hero nor a bad guy, just a typical teenager with his little enjoyments in life (with a hint of soon beginning adulthood). After all the schemes Shuuichi pulled and all the lies he told, the knowledge that he was at the same time insecure and vulnerable made me feel an emotive connection that I haven't felt watching movies in a long time."
In the same way which Shuichi narrated a list of his favorite things at the end of the movie, I'll make a list of what I loved about the movie here:
Synopsis: Kushimori Shuichi (portrayed by Ninomiya) is a high school student living with his sister and mother. One day, his stepfather returns home after 10 years and begins to terrorize his family, much to Shuichi's horror. Shuichi then starts to plot ways to get rid of his stepfather in order to save his family.
The tagline, 僕は、独りで世界と戦っている, translates as "I am battling against this world all on my own."
[SPOILERS BELOW]
I feel that the tagline personified Shuichi's character in the film; indeed, in many ways, he was alone. He sleeps in a garage that is annexed to his house, he speaks his mind into his tape recorder when no one else is listening, he keeps his innermost thoughts to himself, and the list goes on.
A review by Durang0 from Finland highlights what I loved from the movie, so I'm going to quote him/her:
"At first I thought the movie's main function was probably to deliver cheap thrills, raise sympathy in the easiest way, speak against domestic violence, tell a moral story or to portray some typical teenage drama. Before the last minutes I still wasn't sure what to make of it, as it seemed to end without any final conclusion. But then when the ending came it blew me away, even if the viewer guessed what was going to happen long before. The point wasn't about what happened, but how it happened and what we got to know about the main character. Who is this guy? Is he a manipulative scoundrel? A hero that saves his little sister? A criminal that learns a crucial lesson? We don't know this for sure before the last scenes.
In the final scene, when Noriko was holding back her tears, the main character's list of favorite things is narrated. Here he finally reveals himself. He was not a hero nor a bad guy, just a typical teenager with his little enjoyments in life (with a hint of soon beginning adulthood). After all the schemes Shuuichi pulled and all the lies he told, the knowledge that he was at the same time insecure and vulnerable made me feel an emotive connection that I haven't felt watching movies in a long time."
In the same way which Shuichi narrated a list of his favorite things at the end of the movie, I'll make a list of what I loved about the movie here:
- The sense of loneliness which Nino emits. With a pensive and distant look, Shuichi always seems like he's in a world of his own. Even as he bids Noriko farewell in the final moments of the movie, he doesn't open up in front of her, but rather, leaves a tape recorder as proof of his existence.
- The vulnerability of Shuichi. Interestingly, whenever blue light is used in the movie, Shuichi is at his most vulnerable and honest state. The one time when we find Nino close to tears, it was not tears of sadness, but rather due to relief that he was not left to be alone.
- The use of Pink Flyod's song, "Post War Dream" in the opening sequence.
- In Shuichi's list of favorite things, he mentioned that he liked Faye Wong's singing.
